Valentine Godfrey of St.Margaret's

[willsy]

So this would be his marriage at St Margaret

Entry No.438,  JUN  1, 1873, after Banns
VALENTINE GODFREY, 21, bach. MOULDER, of BIRSTALL St, s. of WILLIAM GODFREY, NEEDLE MAKER
RUTH SPENCER, 22, sp. of NORTH BRIDGE PLACE, d. of GEORGE SPENCER, ENGINEER
Wits: GEORGE SPENCER,  HARRIET SPENCER

Valentine Smith Godfrey
1854   Jan-Feb-Mar Leicester 7a/166

If John 1861 married Elzabeth Meadows, his father is as John

[ald]

Now, this marriage certificate needs correcting. Valentine's age was actually 19, not 21 (so as to get around the age of consent etc). He correctly describes himself as a moulder, as he worked at the Morris' Iron Foundry on Catherine St, Leicester.
His father I'm pretty sure wasn't William Godfrey. His " adopted" father I think was John Godfrey (1798-1858). His biological surname was almost certainly Smith. May be William Smith ? His mothers name was originally Mary Moore, born Brighton circa 1814.

No idea how she came to be in Leicester.

All the details for Ruth Spencer are correct.

All the best, Brian

[tartanvamp76]

Hi Im also tracing the Godfrey family, that came up from Leicester in the 1800s, im descent from Valentine, who married Janet Hope, his son William was my great grandmother Christina's father. I know that his sister married Baillie Andrew Landels